Raga Puriya

Vilayat Hussain Khan performed Raga Puriya in a 1963 archival recording later released on compact disc. The track appears as the opening piece on All India Radio Archival Release Vol. 3, issued by T-Series in an unspecified year. The composition spans 37 minutes and 37 seconds, showcasing Khan’s interpretation of the raga within the khayal tradition of Hindustani classical music.

The recording captures Khan’s vocal rendition accompanied by traditional instrumental support, though specific accompanying artists remain undocumented in available sources. The release forms part of a series curated from the All India Radio archives, preserving historical performances for commercial distribution. The CD format retains the original monaural audio quality of the broadcast-era recording.

Raga Puriya belongs to the Puriya Thaat and is characterized by its use of komal re (flattened second) and komal dha (flattened sixth). Khan’s performance adheres to the raga’s structural conventions, including alaap, jor, and jhala sections followed by composed bandish (lyrical composition) and improvisational taans. The track exemplifies the Agra gharana style, of which Khan was a prominent exponent.

The album All India Radio Archival Release Vol. 3 compiles multiple archival recordings, with Khan’s Raga Puriya serving as the lead track. The liner notes or original release documentation do not specify the recording date beyond the 1963 broadcast, nor do they detail the accompanying tabla or tanpura artists. The CD release targets audiences interested in historical Hindustani vocal music, offering a restored version of Khan’s performance from the mid-20th century.